§ Mr. WoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy that the Children's Commissioner for England should have powers equivalent to those of the Children's Commissioners for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. [167055]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Government are proposing through the Children Bill that the powers of the Children's Commissioner based in England should be in keeping with his responsibilities, which are not identical to those of Commissioners elsewhere in the United Kingdom. His proposed functions will include, among other things, acting as a children's champion and advising the Secretary of State on their views and interests, helping them to achieve the outcomes that children have identified as important investigating the effectiveness of complaints procedures open to them, and reporting annually to Parliament on how well the outcomes children seek are being met.